During a flight on Monday to Vietnam, Defense Secretary James Mattis discussed his political affiliation. This was after President Donald Trump referred to Mattis as "sort of a democrat" during an interview that aired Sunday on 60 Minutes.
“I’ve never registered for any political party,” Mattis said to reporters on Monday.
Mattis also brought up how his years in the U.S. Marine Corps shaped him.
Q: Are you a Democrat?
SEC. MATTIS: You know, we're all built on our formative experiences.
When I was 18, I joined the Marine Corps, and in the U.S. military we are proudly apolitical....
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
2/ ...By that, I mean that in our duties, we were brought up to obey the elected commander in chief, whoever that is. And we've seen, over those -- since I was in the military longer than some of you have been alive, I have seen Republicans and Democrats come and go....
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
3/... Where am I today? I'm a member of the president's administration. And you have seen that President Trump's military policies, security policies, reaping significant bipartisan support....
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
4/... So my role...and I realize you all write about tension between this person and that, this administration and that party, and this sort of thing. But when you think 83 percent of the U.S. Congress voting the same way on an issue put forward by the Republican president...
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
5/ ... you can see that my portfolio is bipartisan by its very basis, and that is the protection of the United States. That's what President Trump has told me to do, and I eagerly carry that out, alongside probably the most selfless young men and women...
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
6/ ... -- not all young; some old men and women, too -- civilian and military, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines working together.
So that's where I stand. That defines me.— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
7/ Q: I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but you haven't registered Republican or Democrat. Is that what I'm hearing you say?
SEC. MATTIS: I've never registered for any political party.
###— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
Mattis also talked about rumors that have surfaced during Trump's segment on 60 Minutes.
“I’m on his team. We have never talked about me leaving,” Mattis said, according to a report from Lucas Tomlinson of Fox News.
During 60 Minutes Leslie Stahl asked Trump if Mattis was one of the members in his cabinet that he is unhappy with and if "Mad Dog" is considering departing.
“I have a very good relationship with Mattis. … I think he’s sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “But General Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves. Everybody. People leave. That’s Washington.”
So to clear things up, Mattis is apolitical and is not leaving the Trump administration anytime soon. As we have seen, things can change quickly in the Trump administration, but hopefully he sticks around.
